Cuddalore Students participate in campaign for blood donation

A State-wide mobile campaign for blood donation in Cuddalore on Wednesday.

CUDDALORE: 

        Blood is a vital fluid for the living as well as those struggling for life after an emergency such as an accident or a surgery. Its importance will be felt when there is a chronic need for blood and a frantic search for the suitable blood group to save a life, said U.Tamilarasi, a second-year undergraduate student in the Periyar Government Arts College here.

          She reflects the concern shown by the youth in general for those who are in a critical condition to require blood transfusion. Ms. Tamilarasi was one among the group of students who turned up at Anna Stadium on Wednesday to become part of the State-wide campaign for blood donation, launched jointly by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society and the National Blood Transfusion Council in connection with World Blood Donor Day (observed on June 14).

         A National Service Scheme volunteer, Ms. Tamilarasi had come forward to donate blood for the first time. She dismissed the notion that blood donation would sap energy because the body would recoup the requisite quantity of blood within 36 hours. Her classmate S.Krishnaveni too was of the view that by taking nutritious food the donated blood could be replenished. It was a soothing thought for them that the donated blood would save the life of someone, somewhere. They would not mind donating blood whenever called for.

         For S.Muthukumaran, final-year diploma student of Krishnaswamy Polytechnic College, it was the maiden blood donation. Soon after donating blood, he munched biscuits and gulped down the soft drink and a bottle of drinking water supplied by the organisers. Two ultramodern air-conditioned buses equipped with pushback cushioned seats and cold storage facilities are touring the State, in two different directions — south and north — to collect blood from voluntary donors ever since June 14, and the trip would culminate in Chennai on July 2.

         A medical team is being deployed from the district headquarters government hospital to collect the blood from the donors, and at the end of the day, the entire collection would be handed over to the hospital concerned. From men, 350 ml of blood and from women 300 ml of blood each is being extracted. S.Vidyasankar, Medical Officer (Blood Bank), told The Hindu that after the blood swabs were collected by using fresh needle for each candidate, the blood grouping was determined.

        Those in the age group of 18 to 65 years, weighing 45 kg and above, and having Hb count of 12 gm/dl and a blood pressure of 90/60 to 160/100 could donate blood once in three months in the case of male and once in four months in case of female (Because of the menstrual cycle it might require one more month for women to recoup the blood). Dr. Vidyasankar further said that after a thorough screening blood free from the symptoms of five diseases such as HIV, HBsAg and HAC (two types of hepatitis), malaria and VDRL (venereal diseases) would be put to use.

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Sports event inaugurated At Cuddalore Anna Stadium

CUDDALORE: 

       Collector P. Seetharaman inaugurated a State-level field event for school students at Anna Stadium here on Tuesday. The event was organised by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and the Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Ltd. Mr. Seetharaman said the winners would get cash awards of Rs. 400, Rs. 200 and Rs. 150 and participate in a national-level event to be held at Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.

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Exotic breeds impress at dog show

CUDDALORE: 

        The large number of visitors at the multi-media government exhibition at the Manjakuppam grounds here were treated to a high-calibre dog show in which exotic and rare breeds were displayed by their proud owners on Sunday.

         The event held under the auspices of the Public Relations Department and the Animal Husbandry Department drew overwhelming response from dog breeders, dog lovers and the lay public. The audience was spellbound by certain rare breeds such as Bull Mastiff. According to Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Department M. Elangovan, a Bull Mastiff might cost around Rs 3.5 lakh.

        At least 42 high breeds, including Cocker Spaniel, Great Dane, Doberman, Rottweilers, Buck, Kombai, Dalmatian, Pomeranian, Labrador and Rajapalayam, made their presence felt. The dogs were initially lined up along with their owners and later their behavioural pattern was tested. Each breed would have distinct characteristics and the jurylooked for how well the dogs matched these aspects. The dogs were extremely faithful to the breeders and while they seemed normally docile, a quick hint from the owner would trigger them to instantaneous action as they pounced on the target.Mr Elangovan said that as far as today's show was concerned, all the breeds were well taken care of by the owners. These were drawn mostly from Cuddalore and Chidambaram towns.

           The number of entries in the show clearly established the fact that there were quite a number of dog lovers who try to possess the high breeds of their choice, regardless of the cost factor. What was unique about the event was that all the breeds were well-maintained, indicating the time spent on them by the owners for their upkeep. Asked about the objective of the show, Mr Elangovan said that it would create awareness among the people about the existence of such breeds and also would induce in them the desire to have pet dogs, thus creating a bond between the homo sapiens and the animal kingdom.

           Pon.Muthiah, Public Relations Officer, said that besides the rare breeds there were also well-kept desi varieties, in all totalling 150 dogs, that graced the occasion. Cash prizes awarded by the jury to the best dogs would act as an incentive for others too to raise pet animals, he added.

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NDRF personnel demonstrate rescue strategies

Life-saving: National Disaster Response Force personnel demonstrating various aspects of rescue operation, at Anna Stadium in Cuddalore on Friday.

CUDDALORE: 

             The personnel of the 4th battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who were involved in the rescue operations at the time of landslip in the Nilgiris, cyclone in Andhra Pradesh and the recent stampede at Pilumedu in Sabarimala, held a demonstration at the Anna Stadium here on Friday on how to save victims of building collapse, floods and chemical mishaps.

           Inspector J.S. Bains, team commander, Sub-Inspector K. Kumar and 13 other personnel exhibited various techniques and skills on how to locate the victims caught underneath the debris of a collapsed building and how to bring them to safety. Mr. Bains told The Hindu that the force's response time was zero hour and soon after receiving the distress call, the personnel would be airlifted, wherever needed, and swing into rescue operation.

           The force was provided modern equipment, many of them imported. It also had a kennel of four sniffer dogs that could detect persons fighting for life beneath the rubble. There were eight such battalions located strategically in the disaster-prone regions of the country. The personnel were drawn from various paramilitary forces such as the Border Security Forces, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Central Industrial Security Force, who underwent highly specialised training in rescue operation under trying conditions.

            The commander further said that the force used to gather details about the hazard, vulnerability and conduct resource mapping survey of the vulnerable areas for working out the suitable rescue strategy. The disasters could be broadly categorised into two types: man-made and natural. Both were capable of causing large-scale devastations and, therefore, awareness and preparedness to deal with such exigencies would be critical aspects in containing the damage, Mr. Bains said. He also stated that the personnel were also trained in tackling chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies for which they were provided special suits fitted with oxygen cylinders.

            A hand-held device would keep track of their movement and once the rescuer becomes immobilised owing to radiation, it would give out beeps to take the follow-up action. Mr. Kumar said that the “victim location camera attached with a speaker that could rotate in 360 degree angles” was the ideal equipment to establish contact with the building-collapse victims. Careful handling of the injured and rendering timely medical aid were of utmost importance. The personnel also gave tips on how to save a drowning person without endangering one's life.

              Students, who gathered in large numbers, keenly followed the instructions and a handful of them even tried their hand on how to carry the injured persons in comfortable positions. Collector P. Seetharaman, who inaugurated the demonstration, said that a disaster-prone district like Cuddalore which was battered by the tsunami, cyclones and floods ought to be in a state of preparedness. With the presence of chemical industries and many power projects lined up, it was of vital necessity to create awareness of disaster management among the students and lay public, he added.

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19 differently abled students selected for State-level competitions

Differently abled students participating in the sports events held at Anna stadium, Cuddalore, on Friday.

CUDDALORE: 

             Over 500 students of special schools participated in district-level sports events conducted exclusively for the differently abled at Anna Stadium here on Friday.

            Cuddalore constituency MLA G. Aiyappan inaugurated the event. The students took out a march past before the competitions began. Mr. Aiyappan announced a monetary grant of Rs. 1,000 each to 15 special schools from his personal funds. Through the District Welfare Board for the Differently abled Persons, a total of 30,205 national identity cards and 11,441 welfare board identity cards had been distributed.

           Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had provided several benefits to the differently abled, including a hike in the travelling allowance of government employees from Rs. 300 to Rs. 1,000, he said. The cash award for visually impaired students scoring first rank in Standard X public examinations at the district-level had been increased from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 6,000. Cash award for the Plus Two student getting top mark had been increased from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 12,000, Mr. Aiyappan said.

             Marriage assistance for the differently abled had been enhanced from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000. On the recommendations of Collector P. Seetharaman, the Oasis service organisation, with government support, had started a special school for the mentally challenged students at Kattumannarkoil, Mr. Aiyappan said. Competitions were held in three age groups - 5-8, 9-11 and 12-14. Participants competed in events such as 50 metre sprint, discuss throw, long jump, frog race, bead collection, filling water in bottles, threading the needle, and tri-cycle race.

           In all, 19 persons were selected to represent Cuddalore district at State level competitions to be held later. Joint Director of Health Service P. Kamalakannan gave away prizes to the winners. Welfare Officer for the differently abled persons Srinivasan, Public Relations Officer Pon. Muthiah, representatives and students of special schools were present.

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Stress on compulsory education for children

Creating awareness: A rally on value of education being taken out in Cuddalore on Friday.

CUDDALORE: 

             Collector P. Seetharaman flagged off an awareness rally here on “free and compulsory education for children” on Friday. Around 2,000 students from 16 schools participated.

            The rally began at Thirupadiripuliyur and culminated at the Anna Stadium here, where the students took an oath. Mr. Seetharaman said that the rally was aimed at creating awareness of the ‘Right of children to free and compulsory education Act,' which stipulated that all children in the 6-14 age group should be put in school. Last year, as many as 1,398 ‘out of school children' were identified in the district and linked to the mainstream through various modes. These children were identified through assessments made by the block resource teacher educators, numbering 212, deployed in villages. The children were being classified into three categories — dropouts, those who never enrolled and those who migrated. Dropouts were mainly owing to poverty, aversion to studies, family problem, etc.

              While generally the dropout rate and ‘never enrolled' status were higher among girls in other districts, in Cuddalore, boys outnumbered girls. Mr. Seetharaman said that this was mainly owing to the feeling that boys should help their parents in earning for the family. He said that the dropout situation seemed to be a recurring phenomenon and this year, as many as 1,548 ‘out of school children' had been identified. However, awareness of the need for education was on the rise owing to publicity, peer pressure and the urge to improve the standard of living, he added.

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30 swimmers training to make it to State competitions

IN FULL SWING:Students are training vigorously at the swimming pool at Anna Stadium in Cuddalore to qualify for State-level competitions.

CUDDALORE: 

         Thirty students, including 20 boys and 10 girls, are training vigorously at the swimming pool at Anna Stadium here to qualify for State-level competitions. Already, Saba Franklin has brought laurels to Cuddalore by winning the State title in December 2009 and national title in January 2010 in the Under-10 category. The students who start swimming as a pastime soon become obsessed with it, which in turn ignites their passion to achieve greater things. They regularly practise for hours together daily under the watchful eyes of qualified coach S. Aruna, who has obtained a diploma from the National Institute of Sports.

          Mr. Aruna, employed by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, told The Hindu that he spots talent during the ‘Learn to Swim' summer camps being organised under the aegis of the Sports Development Authority. He would then pick them up for special coaching and impart the requisite techniques. Swimming was a combination of agility and technique and those who acquired mastery over these aspects would excel in their pursuit. He insisted upon the trainees to wear a cap, goggles and swimsuit to facilitate unhindered movement in the water. To streamline the rush of aspirants during summer, he had charted out seven camps, with each camp spreading over 15 days and each session lasting an hour. Totally, six sessions of one hour duration were being held everyday, with the 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. slot exclusively allotted to children and women. While those who participate in the camp would have to shell out Rs.250, the occasional swimmer would have to pay Rs.20 for an hour of swimming.

          The fees thus collected would go to the kitty of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Aruna further said that a lot of care was being taken for the maintenance of the pool and in this task he was assisted by four life guards, one pump operator and one gardener. Total hygiene was maintained at the pool by cleaning it up once a month. Chlorine gas weighing three kg was being pumped into the water on weekdays and four kg of gas during weekends. The trainees were unanimous in their opinion that the plunge into the pool not only refreshed them but also brought out the latent talent in them. Swimming kept them fit and instilled in them confidence to face the vicissitudes of life.

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IRB personnel undergo training

Indian Reserve Battalion personnel at a training session in Cuddalore on Tuesday. 

 

CUDDALORE: 

            Personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), recently deployed in the Union Territory of Puducherry, are undergoing training in swimming at the Anna Stadium here.

           They are imparted training by Inspector Panchakcharam, a Sub-Inspector and two head constables from the Commando Training School, Adayar, Chennai. Mr. Panchakcharam told The Hindu that 70 IRB personnel would also undergo 40 days of rigorous training in various skills. They had to acquire mastery over 35 subjects, including bomb detection and disposal, fire fighting, rifle shooting, martial arts, weapon handling, sniper training, mob operation, night vision map reading, field craft training and survival tactics in jungles. The IRB personnel were taken to various facilities at Villupuram, Karur and Sathyamangalam for the drills. They would undergo elaborate training in the jungles of Sathyamangalam, Mr. Panchakcharam said. As the counter insurgency operation might require long stay in the jungles, the personnel were being taught how to survive on scanty food available in the jungles, tracking of animals and so on.

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